RENO - Just a week away from the season opener, the University of Nevada football team will go through its final major scrimmage this morning.
The scrimmage, scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. at Mackay Stadium will before the last major tune-up as the Wolf Pack prepares for their season debut under coach Chris Tormey against PAC-10 foe Oregon next Saturday, Sept. 2.
The team and coaches will take part in a Pop Warner clinic at Mackay Stadium Saturday at 11 a.m. and conclude the week with a Sunday practice in pads at 3:30 p.m.
A pair of local area products have been among the early injury casualties. Freshman defensive tackle Pat Nohr, who graduated from Galena High School in June, is out one week with a left knee injury and freshman defensive end Joe Andrews, who just graduated from Douglas High School, has a left shoulder injury that will put him out of action indefinitely.
"A lot of guys have muscle strains and its the summer underuse syndrome," Tormey said following Wednesday's practice. "It wasn't a great practice. We had a lot of guys get tired, lose concentration and experience muscle strains. We need to focus better and need a better effort."
Senior defensive end Leni Suiaunoa underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee earlier in the week and will be out four to six weeks, freshman Matt Porter is still experiencing headaches from a concussion suffered in last Saturday's scrimmage and junior linebacker Jeff Peterson has a nagging left hamstring injury making his status day-to-day. Several others were limited somewhat in contact drills Wednesday but are expected back for Friday's scrimmage.
One player returned to practice after missing the previous few days with an eligibility question as red-shirt freshman Carl LaGrone (outside linebacker) was back in action Wednesday and cleared to play. Junior transfer offensive lineman Craig Brooks won't be cleared academically for practice until classes start this Monday.
"Our focus now will be on our base offense against Oregon's base defense and our base defense against Oregon's base offense," Tormey said.
Nevada hosts Texas Christian in its WAC and home opener September 9 at 1 p.m. at Mackay Stadium.